North Surrounding Homes for Sale and Real Estate

Area Description

Less than ten miles from Ames, some of "Iowa’s best-kept secrets," as they like to describe themselves, are also positioned as little as 20 miles north of Des Moines. Suited for home buyers who wish to keep their connection to rural life, the region surrounding Slater and Granger doesn't feel the need to rush to copy the larger urban amenities of their neighbors. And that's the way they like it.

Lovers of the outdoors will be overwhelmed by the choices of activities, whether on horseback, a bicycle seat or cross-country skis. With smaller populations, so does the number of available homes for sale.

Area Highlights

The Neighbors

Friendly, down to earth, community-minded.

Market

Limited number of available homes.

Lifestyle

Active and healthy, relaxed, all-season outdoor recreation.

You'll Love

A close connection to nature and the small town feel.

Perfect For

Outdoor lovers, buyers looking to escape the big city.

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Around the Area

For those with a pioneering spirit, head north of Ankeny, stop before you arrive in Ames and discover a territory filled with a diverse, but limited collection of homes. “Small town, big community,” is how the city of Slater sums up their approach to life, while still managing to be located less than an hour from downtown Des Moines.

Towns like Cambridge, Alleman and Elkhart all host less than 1,000 residents and the list of available homes in this region will be dramatically less than the norm for an urban house hunter.

Better known locations include Granger, neighboring the 1,675-acre Jester Park on the shore of Saylorville Lake and a popular destination for camping, picnicking, golfing and spending quality with the horses at its Equestrian Center.

And Madrid has achieved local fame as a trailhead for the High Trestle Trail and the easiest entryway to the stunning 1/2-mile bridge that spans the Des Moines River and becomes an illuminated wonder at night.